Prior approaches to workout systems utilizing tethered balls for people with disabilities are almost nonexistent and are used primarily limited to boxers and other martial arts fighters in order to improve hand-eye coordination. These apparatuses are expensive, are complex to set up at home, are rather large and not easily transported and set up, and are limited as to their applications.                U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,029 (Tomko) discloses a martial arts striking machine. The striking device for training in martial arts comprises a base and at least two arc supports of differing heights, resiliently attached in a vertical plane to the base; striking area supported on the concave side of the arc supports; adjustable spacers between the arc supports to provide variable tension levels to the arc supports; and a back brace supporting the convex side of at least one of the arc supports and at a point on the convex side so as to provide maximum stable resistance.        U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,624 (Feaser) discloses a striking device for training in martial arts. The striking device is for use by a trainee in karate, or boxing to simulate an opponent. Target elements are suspended by a cord from a fixed overhead position and pivoted rod-mounted response elements are balanced between the target elements. When the trainee strikes the target elements, the response elements move in an unpredictable manner to strike back at the trainee.        U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,107 (Janis) discloses a sports practice device for practicing the stroking motion used in games such as tennis, baseball, squash and the like includes a pair of guide rails mounted to the floor and ceiling of a room, a pair of carriages constrained to move relative to the rails between stops mounted in the rails, and a ball secured to an elastic cord which in turn is secured to the carriage members thereby suspending the ball a pre-determined distance above the floor at a hitting position. When the ball is hit, motion is imparted to the carriage members which move along the guide rails until their motion is stopped by the stops.        U.S. Pat. No. 8,118,714 (Ramsay-Matthews) discloses a portable boxing and martial arts training apparatus. The apparatus relates to a hand-eye coordination training apparatus designed for all sports enthusiasts and martial artists seeking hand speed timing and accuracy. The apparatus offers unpredictable vertical and horizontal target movement, as well as instant adjustability to change the tension and height of the target. This enables the target to travel at varied heights, speeds and distances. The apparatus is effective in isolating the skill of hand eye coordination because it provides minimal resistance.        U.S. Patent Publication No. 20100311024 (Schenck) discloses an invention uses fitness, balance, and coordination improvement methods using an adjustable swing arm(s) and swivel which will suspend attached activity specific tethers and targets. Said invention's horizontal arms can be manipulated easily and set securely. The most basic setup enables one participant to successfully hit a target more than once because target always returns to its starting point.        
What is needed is a system that provides rehabilitation and therapeutic recovery training for those who need such training while also providing full body workouts and fitness training for those seeking such training.
What is needed is a system that is especially designed for visual rehabilitation, depth perception and peripheral tracking, while increasing hand-eye coordination, strength, and mobility, while improving upper body muscle tone and reducing fat.
What is needed is a training system for use in a home, made of soft lightweight foam that is essentially silent, which can be punched extremely hard, repeatedly, which will not damage the premises, which requires little space, is adjustable for users of various shapes and sizes, which promotes total body-mind involvement, which is safe, fun, and easy to learn.
It is the primary objective of the therapeutic striking and rehabilitation training system of the present invention to provide rehabilitation and therapeutic training in a home environment for persons with disabilities from an accident, wounded veterans, from disabilities involving birth defects, or as part of a physical therapy program.
It is another object of the therapeutic striking and rehabilitation training system of the present invention to enable a developmentally delayed person, or a physically or neurologically impaired person, such as a child or adult, to learn where they are in space in relation to other objects, to help them learn depth perception.
It is still yet another objective of the therapeutic striking and rehabilitation training system of the present invention is to provide a training device to be used by the user once rehabilitated as a training device for full-body workouts for hand-eye coordination training, reflex training, cross training, or simply to maintain and improve coordination of a weaker side of the user's body at home.